Death of Renowned UKZN Plant Pathologist

BY: .

Head of the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology at the Faculty of Agriculture on the Pietermaritzburg campus of the former University of Natal from 1977 to 1987, Professor Emeritus Michael Menne Martin, passed away peacefully aged 87, surrounded by his family. 

After completing his BCom part-time in Durban and then realising it was the wrong career choice, Martin left South Africa to work on a farm in Canada but the intolerable cold drove him to Vancouver, where he worked as a postman before being awarded a bursary to study at the Faculty of Agriculture in Pietermaritzburg.

He completed his BSc Agric at the then University of Natal (UN), and as there were no local virologists, he undertook his Masters through the Department of Virology at the University of Wageningen in The Netherlands. This was converted into a PhD after his return, and he was subsequently appointed as the local departmental Virologist at UN. His PhD, awarded in 1976, focused on the Purification and Electron Microscopy of the Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus.  Interestingly, the current incumbent of the Virology post at UKZN, Dr Gus Gubba, also studied tomato spotted wilt virus for his PhD.

Martin was appointed a Lecturer at UN in 1958, going on to serve as a Senior Lecturer during the 1960s and being made a full Professor in 1977.  He was Head of the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology from 1977 to 1987, succeeding Professor Susarah Truter, who started the Department in 1955.

His subsequent research interest was in the field of plant immunology, specifically on how systemically acquired resistance was initiated and transmitted in plants in response to viral infection. In the meticulous studies that he conducted with the assistance of Mrs Lynne Goudswaard, he was 30 years ahead of the field. In the last 10 years, various breakthroughs have been made on this topic, and it is now known that there are several forms of systemic plant resistance, including one specific for viruses. Martin was delighted to discover that the latest developments tied in remarkably well with his earlier innovative research.

He introduced the study of plant disease epidemiology at UN, based on the ground-breaking works of Dr JE Vanderplank, an alumnus of the University and a South African plant pathologist who pioneered this field globally. As a result of this foresight, UKZN is the only university in South Africa which offers two undergraduate courses in plant disease epidemiology.

Martin had the exceptional intellect to understand and lecture in two very different fields – virology and epidemiology – and to recognise their parallel importance.

His plant pathology lectures were a bit of a “curate’s egg”, as he lectured from the knowledge stored in his remarkable brain, without notes, which made them a little disorganised. What made these lectures special was that they were delivered with passion, spontaneity and a sense of curiosity, which gave the students a glimpse into the real world of plant pathology, into the unknowns and fascinating questions facing the discipline, with all the opportunities and possibilities they presented. He inspired many of his colleagues to pursue plant pathology as a career.

Martin was an intellectual and a gentleman, gentle of nature and spirit, and an extraordinarily kind individual. His love of nature and music were recurring themes throughout his life, with flowers bought for the garden being considered ‘an investment in beauty’. He was truly egalitarian, one who attached no importance to status, race, title or money.

As a religious and deeply spiritual person, he expressed his beliefs in the most positive way, living his faith in his daily life, and in his engagement with the world and his fellow human beings.

He was married to Melloney (nee Morton) for 58 years. They had four children and four grandchildren.

A memorial service was held on Saturday 7 March at St Peter’s Cathedral in Pietermaritzburg.

* Compiled by Mark Laing, with input from Frits Rijkenberg, Mike Wallis and Carrin Martin.